Cord machine



'NO V. 24,1925. 1,562,852

FL FK RLJF CORD MACHINE Filed Feb. 7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ORNEY Nov. 24, 1925- H. P. RUF

CORD MACHINE Filed Feb, '7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES HERMAN IP. RUF, OF Nlfili.T YORK, N. Y..

CORD MACHINE.

Application filed February 7, 1925.

To all whom z5 may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN l?. RUF, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cord Machines, of which the following is a specication. v

This invention relates to cord making machines and more particularly to machines of that general nature adapted for the making of bullion cord and articles of an analogous character.

Among the objects of this invention is to provide a cord making machine which shall permit of the making of a plurality7 of cords simultaneously, suitable actuating means being provided for operating a plurality of cord making units and for regulating the rate of feed of the material of which the cord is made.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cord making machine for making a twist or bullion cord, said means comprising a spool or other device for receiving said cord, and an arm rotatable about the axis of said spool for twisting the constituent threads or fibers of which the cord is formed into the usual form as bullion cord while at the same timewinding said bullion cord upon the spool.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a cord making machine which shall be particularly adapted for making cord of constantly uniform character, said machine embodying features that permit the same to be operated at constant speed without vibration or slip, while the cord is formed under conditions of constant feed and tension.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is an end view of the machine.

' Fig. 2 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 but with parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a side view of a portionof the machine.

Serial No. 7,4152.

Figs. l and 5 are views of details of the drive mechanism at right angles to each other.

. Fig.' 6 is a view of certain details with parts 1n section.

Figs. 7 and-8 show front and end views of a detail of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, l show my machine as comprising a frame or body 10 upon which is mounted a rack 11 which is adapted for supporting a plurality of spools 12 containing preferably a heavy-body thread a, while beneath said rack is mounted a plurality of spools 13 which contain silk or other relatively eX- pensive thread Z) adapted to be twisted about the heavy-body thread aforesaid to form an imitation silk cord which is known in commerce as bullion cord.

The machine may be constructed in duplicate, both sides thereof being similar, and eachside having a plurality of cord making units mounted in spaced relation to each other, for simultaneously making a relatively large number of cords. For regulating the feed of the cord or body thread, a plurality of rollers 16 and 17 are mounted upon each side of the machine at equal distances from the center thereof and operated mechanically for feeding said thread to the various cord making units at the respective sides of said rollers. Said-rollers may be of the friction type or of any other type which is capable of feeding a core at a fixed and uniformly constant rate of speed. After leaving said' roller., said core is passed through a suitable guide such as a plurality of rotatable wheels 15 the edges whereof are grooved to receive said core, said wheels being mounted in parallel relation with each other and with their grooves in communica-` tion. After leaving said wheels, the core is guided into a cord making unit. as will soon be described.

In a similar manner, thread guiding means including a plurality of rollers 14; are provided which are adapted to guide a plurality of silk threadsto a cord making "unit From the rollers, the silk threads are led to a guide 18 which is capable of receiving and retaining the various silk threads separately and in spaced relation to each other to preclude the possibility of the threads entangling The guide 18 consists for this purpose preferably of a spring or other twisted or helical wire, between the turns of which the various silk threads are retained as stated. After leaving the guide 18, said threads are led tol a cord makingunit as will now be described, and whereby the silk threads are drawn through the guide 18 and the roller 14 in course of twisting operation.

Each unit includes a guide rod 19, the axis of which is preferably vertical and which is formed with a groove 19a' extending lengthwise thereof and wit-hin which the core a and silk threads b are received for the twisting operation incident to the process of cord making. A plurality of devices such as eyes 20 are provided at the sides of said guide rods, through one of which the silk threads pass while through the other of which the core passes in entering the groove aforesaid. Said guide rod is of rounded section as shown in'Fig. 8 toeliminate friction between the threads andv the guide rods and to insure a uniform feed of the threads.

Mounted co-aXially with said guide rods is a device embodying a rotating member or arm 21 having means such as an eye 22 or Jhe like through which said threads are adapted to pass so that as the arm swings ,about the axis aforesaid the threads are twisted about each other, the silk thread being wound upon the core as determined by the relative mass and tension between the threads a and Z). A spool 23 is mounted about the aXis aforesaid to receive the twisted product or bullion cord, finished and ready for the market. More particularly said device comprises an axially extending rod 2A having an opening or eyelet 25 to receive the threads a and b as they leave the groove 19a while being continuously twisted through the rotation of saidv arm. Inasmuch as the speed of rotation of said arm is considerably greater than the rate at which the bullion cord is formed to be wound upon said spool, it follows .that said spool must rotate in the direction of rotation of said arm, but at reduced speed to wind up the bullion cord as the same is formed. Moreover, as the bullion cord is wound up on the spool 28, and the diameter thereof' increases, the difference in speed between the spool and said arm will change. The preferred method of securing the desired action and flexibility ofthe machine to meet the above requirements is to cause said' spool to be rotated merely through the tension thereon of the bullion cord as the same is driven by said arm. This will cause said spool to rotate in the same direction as said arm and at a reduced speed depending upon the rate at which the bullion cord is formed and the threads a supplied from their' vrespective rollers. To insure freedom from vibration and a delicately uniform operation the cord making unit is properly balanced as by duplicating the arm 21. Thus either arm may be used, since each is similar to the other in construction. Said arms are furthermore constructed preferably of aluminum for the sake of securing lightness, and consequently a more even operation.

I have found also that variations in the character of the cord, that is, in the rate at which the same is twisted, which occur in bullion supplied in the market at present, can be wholly eliminated by my machine. I have for this'purpose eliminated the Variable which results from the changing weight of the spool 23 as the same is loaded with bullion cord. Tnasmuch as said spool' is rotated by the drag of the bullion cord as stated hereinbefore, and as the friction rctarding the rotation of the spool increases as the weight of the spool increases, it

would follow that the'tension upon the bullion cord would increase and consequently that the rate of feed of the threads a and Z) would be caused to change. This result I have eliminated by providing a frictionless or ball bearing support for Jhe spool 23.

The cord making unit is operated by means of a spindle 26 to which the arms 21 are secured at 2T so as to be rotatable thereby at a fixed elevation. Supporting said spools is a. bar member 28 through which said spindles are adapted to slide as said bar moves up and down to alternately raise and lower said spool between said arms to insure an even laying and spread of the bullion cord thereon. A collar 29 concentric with said spindle and mounted in slidable relation therewith is supported by the bar 28 as upon the balls 8O so as to provide the frictionless bearing aforesaid. Said collar supports the spool 23 upon the face thereof, and extending upward from said collar is a sleeve 31 which enters within said spool and surrounds said spindle. To regulate the rotation of said spool, a spring or fric tion member 32 is provided having engage` ment with said said collar as within the groove 33 thereof, said friction member being mounted upon adjusting' means such as a thumb-screws 84 which is threaded into the bar 28 to regulate the friction to be exerted upon said collar. It will now be seen that while the spool has direct frictional engagement with the collar 29, said collar is mounted in a manner whereby the effect of friction due to the varying weight of said spool is eliminated, but such friction as is necessary to maintain the bullion core slightly taut is secured through the friction member 32, which opera-tes of necessity in a uniform manner andV regardless of the weight of said spool. Thus a bullion cord yof a uniform and highly constant twist is formed, and which is consequently moremarketable than the product now generally in use.

The lift bar 28 is operative by means of llO a uniform motion cam 35 which actuate the follower 36. Said follower is rigidly secured to a rod 37 which is slidable within the cross bars 88 and 89 of the fra-Ine of the machine. The rod 87 is secured at its upper end 89 to the lift. bar 28, so as to reciprocate said bar up and down at a constantly uniform speed when the cam rotates. Thus as stated hereinbefore, the spool is reciprocated up and down and the bullion cord laid thereon uniformly.

The machine is opei'ated preferably from a central connection, as by means of a. drive shaft 40. As Vshown in Figs. 4 and 5 a worm 41 is mounted upon this shaft to rotate the worm gear 42 which is secured to the spindle 26, and whereby the spindle is rotated within its bearings 38a and 89a in the cross bars 88 and 39, thus causing the arm 21 to rotate as aforesaid. The cams 35 which are mounted upon the cam shaft 48 are operated through a system of gears connecting the drive shaft and the cam shaft. More particularly, a worm 44 is secured to the drive shaft to rotate the worm gear 45 and in turn the worm 46 through the spindle 4'?, the latter worm in turn meshing with the gear 48a to operate the cam shaft.

Both the cam shaft and the drive shaft extend the entire length of the machine whereby a plurality of cord making units can be operated simultaneously and with precise evenness and uniformity of speed. A plurality of cams 35 are used at each side of the machine so as to distribute the stresses evenly throughout.

The rollers 16 and 17 are power driven as noted hereinbefore, and since said rollers are the means for regulating the feed of the core threads, a variable speed drive is used in the operating mechanism. Thus a friction drive is used comprising a disk 48 mounted upon the drive shaft 40, said disk rotating the wheel 49, the axis whereof is at right angles with the axis of said disk. By varying the distance between said wheel and the center of said disk, the rate of rotation of said wheel can be increased or decreased. Said wheel is mounted upon a spindle 50 which is rotatable thereby to transmit motion to a gear train at the top of the machine. Thus the worm 5l is operative by said spindle to rotate a gear 52, and a gear 58 co-aXial therewith, and finally a gear 54 which meshes with the gear 53 and transmits rotary motion to the roller bar 16. The roller 17 is operative in any well known manner 'directly by gears actuated by the gear train described. In this way the rate at which the various threads are fed to be formed into bullion cord is controlled by a friction drive which is readily operative through a large range of speed. The

position of the wheel 49 is readily shifted by means of a shifter rod 55 which is mounted for vertical sliding movement and carries a yoke 56 embracing a grooved collar 57 which is secured to the spindle 50 so that by moving the shifter rod upward or downward the wheel 49 carried by said spindle is moved for the desired speed adjustment. A lock 58 is provided which is adapted to grip the shifter rod to retain the same against accidental vertical movement when the speed has been properly adjusted, said lock being operative for opening or closing upon said shifter rod by means of a turn of said rod about its axis through the handle 59 provided at its upper end.

I have thus provided a machine which is capable of turning out a high class product in large quantities. The bullion cord for the manufacture of which this machine is particularly fitted, is wound upon the spools while under considerable tension due to the twisting operation. Vhen the bullion cord is removed from the spools for use in the usual manner in the trade, the tension thereof is utilized in forming the slide cord which is used for ornamental purposes on chandeliers and the like. Thus a pair of bullion cords are taken and twisted about each other, the tension under which the bullion cord is formed being utilized to retain the two cords twisted about each other without possibility of loosening or untwisting. The slide cord so made has an effective and rich ornamental appearance, especially because of its silk coating, while the cost thereof is not great.

My machine is driven throughout by a gear drive, eliminating the slip which occurs in connection with belt drives, and the product formed is as indicated herein of uniformly better quality. All factors which tend to introduce variable elements into the production of the bullion cord have been eliminated, and a machine produced which is capable of producing a product which in point of quality is at present unknown on the market.

I claim:

In a cord making machine, the combination with means for receiving a plurality of threads and actuating the same to produce a cord, of means for guiding said threads to be received as aforesaid, the guiding means comprising a rod having a longitudinal groove to receive said threads, the

surface of said rod at the sides of said groove forming substantially circular sliding surfaces for said threads and permitting threads to be fed into said groove simultaneously at both sides of the rod` In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HERMAN I. RUF. 

